Karlovic makes more history in Aus Open epic
The man responsible for the second-longest Australian Open match ever has achieved some more unique history in another marathon five-setter.
Ivo Karlovic, the oldest man at 38 in the Australian Open men's draw, advanced to the third round with a titanic five-set win over Japan's Yuichi Sugita on Wednesday.
The 89th-ranked Croat needed over four-and-a-half hours in stifling heat before extinguishing the No.41 ranked Sugita 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 4-6, 12-10.
He is the oldest man to reach the third round of the Australian Open for 40 years.
The big-serving Croat served up 53 aces, made 110 winners and just two service breaks in the marathon match.
It marked the seventh time in his career that he's notched over 50 aces in a match, extending his own world record.
John Isner is second on that list with two 50-plus matches.
50 or more aces in a match
Karlovic, 7 times
Isner, 2 times
Mahut, Olivetti, J. Johansson & Muller, 1 time— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 17, 2018
+50* aces, not 50 or more.
Federer also hit 50, Wimbledon 2009 final vs Roddick.— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 17, 2018
Ivo Karlovic hits more than 50 aces (53) for the 7th time in his career, beats Yuichi Sugita 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-5, 4-6, 12-10 to reach the #AusOpen R3 @ivokarlovic came to the net 180 times...
[getty] pic.twitter.com/r946FFPCZX— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 17, 2018
The Croat also extended his record as the oldest man to win a Grand Slam match since Jimmy Connors was 40 at the 1992 US Open with his win over Sugita, 29.
At the 2017 Australian Open, Karlovic prevailed 22-20 in the fifth set in a five-hour 15-minute match against Hector Zabellos.
The fifth set alone lasted two hours and 37 minutes.
Time-wise, the match fell just 38 minutes short of the longest in Australian Open history, the five-hour and 53 minute final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in 2012.
with agencies